Happy Birthday Daddy!

I've often wondered about my father's childhood and what he was like growing up. Other than a few pictures and maybe a couple of brief glimpses on someone's blurry, silent videotape, it's hard to really get a feel for what his life was like. Of course he's told us stories, probably when we pestered him, since he isn't one to talk about himself much.

Still, we loved his tales about living on the Coronet, working in a boat yard in Gloucester, and his adventures in Bible school. I remember eagerly perusing his high school yearbook, and a similiar book he had from basic training, looking for pictures of him. When he attended Brown, he worked for and, I think, lived with an eccentric, wealthy old man, chaffeuring him from place to place in a variety of luxury cars. We used to beg for the hilarious antecdotes from this era.

I remember wanting to hear stories of youthful indiscretion or just plain bad behavior mostly because I just couldn't imagine it. There was some satisfaction in hearing the story of Grandpa M, pulling the car off the road and yanking Daddy and Uncle T out to administer discipline because of their bickering. What were they arguing about? And the time my father had to run out of a church meeting because he was trying not to laugh.

It was hard for me to imagine even the mildest lapse of judgement on his part because I have always known my father to be patient, disciplined and consistent. Quiet and sometimes hard to read with an appreciation for dry, understated humor.

My father taught me how to plant seeds in a straight line, to take good care of library books, to return other people's property in good condition, to ice skate, to pray for things "with my whole heart", how to look for tomato worms and dispose of them, how to shoot a .22, to be aware of my blind spot when driving. My father taught us how to play, "Here 'Tis" on long car rides (What? you don't know this game? It's better than the alphabet game), how to look ahead to a bright future in spite of natural pessimism.

My father always encouraged all of his children and expressed his love to us out loud regularly. Even though there have been many times I've marvelled that I descended from one so temperate, discreet, kind and even-keeled, I've never doubted his love for me. He holds steady through darkness and pain. I'm incredibly blessed to have him for a father.

Happy Birthday Daddy!